MORE than two people a week were taken to hospitals in Glasgow after taking legal highs.

The Scottish Ambulance service responded to 144 call outs throughout 2016, with 110 people requiring hospital treatment.

So-called legal highs, including spice, laughing gas and mephedrone, were outlawed in 2016 under the Psychoactive Substances Act after being attributed to the deaths of more than 100 people across the country.

But leading drugs charities have since voiced concerns over the growing use of the substances in Glasgow.

Freedom of Information figures obtained by the Evening Times revealed that, despite a sizeable drop in call-outs relating to the drugs, 143 people required medical attention after taking them last year.

Of this figure, three of those in need were under 14-years-old.

In 2016, before legislation changed the way the drugs were classified, the figure was more than double with ambulance staff attending 303 call outs and taking 233 people to hospital who had taken the new psychoactive substances.

As reported previously by the Evening Times, synthetic cannabinoids, also known as ‘spice’ has become commonly used among the homeless population in Glasgow.

The highly addictive psychoactive substance was initially marketed as having the same effects as cannabis but is thought to be around 10 times stronger than actual cannabis plants.

Users have been described as going into a ‘zombie-like’ state after taking the drug.

Wendy Spencer, Director of Operations at Turning Point Scotland said: “Rough sleepers and the homeless community are particularly at risk and we have concerns these vulnerable groups are being deliberately targeted by people pushing these substances. “

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We do not routinely record when a patient is thought to have been under the influence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS), however this information may be recorded by a crew if they think it is appropriate.

“In the past, NPS were recorded under the umbrella term “legal highs”, but since these substances are no longer classed as legal, crews record the specific names of the substances taken.”